St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-11-24
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Barnum Rurned ONT.


The main building of Barnum &
Bailey's winter quarters at Bridgeport,
Conn.,, burned Sunday evening. The
building was 600 feet by 200 feet, two
stories high and was consumed in half
an hour. 1t is supposed to have been
set by the explosion of the lantern of a
watclIman. Three elephants were
burned and &c broke their fastenings
and escaped with terrific rOars. The
large hippopotamus also escaped.
These rushed about the streets with
their sides burned, and pieces of flesh
foot square fell off. Thirty elephants
and one lion started off cross country
toward Fairfield. There was great
alarm and many residents barred their
doors and windows. All the ring ami
mails, trained stations, ponies, ETC.,
were burned, also all the tents, seats,
harnesses, poles, ETC., also all the birds,
monkeys, three rhinOceroses, hyenas,
tigers, lions and all the menagerie.
The fire was so rapid no attempt was
made to save the building. The char
lot building and car sheds were saved.
Loss 100000, insurance 100000.
Another estimate tplaces the loss
building $4,000, animals $5O0,O00,
canvas and stock 100000.
Another account says beside the ami
mails lost, hundreds of animals, includ-
ing the elephants, lions, tigers, Loop
ards, camels and horses were liberated
or broke loose and for hours afterward
there was tremendous uproar. Sew
eral persons were picked up in the
streets by the Infatuated elephants and
tossed around. A detail of the police
seven bullets in his hide, but with no
perceptible result.
Collision and Loss of Life.
The Dutch steamer, w. A. Scholten,
was sunk by collision with the steam
Ell Rosa Mary of HartlepOol, Saturday
night off Dover, England. The Schol-
ten carried 230 passengers and crew,
over 100 of whom are supposed to be
lost. At the time of the accident a
dense fog prevailed. immediately af-
ter the shock the SchOlten's passen-
gers, all of whom had retired for the
night, rushed on deck in their night
gowns. The boats were promptly or
dered to be lowered, but it was found
only two were available. The water
rushed swiftly through a hole in the
bow and terrible scene ensued. The
panic stricken passengers uttered
piercing shrieks and many fell upon
their knees and prayed aloud. Little
children chung to their mothers who
themselves were shrieking with terror.
The officers were cool and self possess
ed and remained on the bridge to the
last. Within 20 minutes of the shock
the SchOlten was engulfed. Many of
the rescued lost their wives, husbands,
brothers and sisters. One of the saved
states the scenes on the sinking ship
were terrible. The steerage passen-
gers stricken with terror, ran about
the deck in wild confusion. The cap
tain tried his utmost to restore order
without effect; the passengers rushed
for the boats and it was with great
difficulty officers could keep them from
jumping into and sinking them. After
the vessel sunk the cries of the persons
in the water were heard for long
time in all directions.
There was no tronble worthy of note
at the Sunday demonstration in Ira
falgar square. 1t is estimated that
30, 900 persons were in the vicinity of
the square.
Robert Bonner formally announces
his retirement from the management
of the New York Ledger, having trans
ferred the entire business to his three
sons.
Plymouth church at Brooklyn, with
but one dissenting vote, has formally
voted to call Rev. Charles A. Berry of
WOlverhamptOn, England, to fill the
pulpit on a salary of $4,000.